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Another OALD question...

I have been reading thru - as there seem to be lots of mommas out there with OALD. I am trying to figure out if OALD is what I have. Lemme give ya some background. Warning - maybe long - but please bear with me!

DD was born 5 weeks ago tomorrow. She started to latch very well in the beginning, but when my milk came in, and I was engorged, she started latching incorrectly. The LC at the hopsital suggested Nipple sheilds. With the use of them, she nursed thru the engorement. She spit up a little, but nothing alarming. By week two - she was showing signs of reflux - (ds1 has it) so I kept a close eye on her. Thought maybe an allergy? Cut back on dairy almost completely eliminating for 3 days, with no signs of improvement. In fact it was getting worse! So I took the ped on Wednesday of last week. He says her trhoat is red and irritated, and it sure sounds like she has reflux, and seeing as how I have it, and her older brother, he was quick to diagnose reflux. She's been on Zantac and Reglan since then. We have not seen any improvements. With older brother - there were improvements in the first 2 days of starting the meds.

So - here we are now - she is still spitting up quite a bit, and spitting up a few hours after eating. I read thru the signs of OALD, and that's DD to a tee - minus the sympoms for me. I have only pumped a few times since she's been born, only to replace a feeding (mommy was stuck out of the house and DD was starving ) I think it's been 5 times I've pumped, and the most I've gotten from both breasts combind is 5 oz. I don't leak - unless I am really engored (which only happens without feeding for at least 4 hours) and it's usually only when she is nursing onthe other side.

I have been considering pumping and bottle feeding for a day to see if I raelly haev OALD, and that is why she's still so spitty. I figured if it was that - she wouldn't be spitting up and be so gassy from a bottle, and if she still was - then she has an allergy to something that we need to figure out. I must add that she's gained 2 lbs since birth, and has plenty of wet diapers. Since beig on the Zantac and Reglan, she's had EXPLOSIVE poops - going up her back, her belly AND down her legs! He poop is somewhat runny, but yellowish orangish. I am afraidthat just from pumping I won't make enuff to satisfy her - the few times she's had a bottle - she's drank 5 ozs!

Sorry this is so scattered and all over the place - I have to keep coming back to post - since my 14 mo old is into EVERYTHING these days! Any imput would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Re: Another OALD question...

Hi,

It must be so frustrating to see your baby uncomfortable and not be sure if what you are trying is helping. (((HUGS))) to you.

Let me be sure that I understand you correctly. Are you saying that baby has OALD symptoms, but *you* don't? You said you are rarely engorged and don't leak often. How does baby behave while nursing? Does she pull off, sputter, or choke when you let down? How did baby respond to your bottle-feeding experiment yesterday?

Dairy usually needs to be eliminated for several weeks before you can truly tell if a dairy allergy is the reason for baby's discomfort. Also remember that diary is hidden in all sorts of foods, so be sure to read labels and ask about ingredients if you are not sure. Dairy is also not the only food that can cause discomfort in nursing babies. Check out the allergies forum on this board for more info.

Oh, and if the meds the doctor has given her are not helping and causing other worrisome symptoms, it's definitely time to call or visit the doctor and get your questions answered.

Re: Another OALD question...

Thanks for responding Tiana! Yes, you got what I was trying to get out . DD chokes at the breast, sputters, pulls off, gags. I have been trying some of the tips listed on the site here, including when I let down, remove her from the breast, and let it into a towel, and it seems to be making her nursing a little easier. We've also been doing a few burpings during each session. I also have been only feeding her from one side for a 2 hours period to ensure she's getting enough hinde milk. She doesn't seem to be spitting up as much. I started alternating bottles and the breast starting last night. She's had 2 bottles so far, and it seems she spits up A LOT less with the bottle then when she's on the breast. I plan on continuing this throughout the day. I figure if she's not spitting up from the bottle, then it musn't be an allergy???

Re: Another OALD question...

It's starting to sound less like allergies and more like an oversupply thing to me. Especially if catching the excess milk in a diaper and limiting baby to one breast every two hours is helping. Good detective work, mama !

At this point, you might want to rethink the pumping/bottle feeding idea. Pumping can actually make oversupply *worse* in some women. Just something to think about.